Remembering Carlos Truan: 1935-2012

CORPUS CHRISTI - Longtime state leader Carlos Truan supported those who needed an advocate and rankled those who stood in his way.

The spirit that fueled him stayed fierce. It mustered the courage during the racially charged late-1960s to fight for Spanish-speaking children to begin their education in their native tongue. It did battle with state officials over ethics violations and filibustered for 20 straight hours to kill a shrimping-related bill.

Truan, the former dean of the Texas Senate, died Tuesday in Corpus Christi at age 76. Services are pending.

Longtime friend and political activist David Perry, a Corpus Christi attorney, said Truan entered politics at a time in Texas history marked by division and chaos.

"Carlos first ran for the Legislature at a period in Corpus Christi and South Texas history where ethnic tension was extremely high," he said. "That was the time of the Corpus Christi school integration case, and shortly after that the federal court intervened and required mandatory integration and busing."

Truan's approach, although frustrating to many fellow lawmakers through the years, brought clarity to those who looked to him for leadership, Perry said.

"He was always someone you could talk to, but he was never someone who would bow to pressure," Perry said. "Once he made up his mind, he stuck with it whether he had one vote or 31 votes."

His methods and his manner could be public and harsh but always had a purpose, Perry said.

In 1978, Truan, by then a state senator, scolded the Nueces County Democratic Party chairman over the chairman's remarks at a Senate hearing in Port Aransas related to beach traffic control, at the time a hot topic that had the potential to close Texas beaches to the public.

Perry said Truan led the fight.

"The fact that we still have public beach access in Texas is very much a part of his record and something he was very, very proud of," Perry said.

In 1979, Truan called for the state to censure State Education Commissioner Alton Bowen for calling for a freeze in bilingual education funding, an issue Truan fought for and won as a first-term state representative when he authored and got passed the Texas Bilingual Education Act in 1969.

"He was as tough as they came, but he had a soft heart," longtime legislator Hugo Berlanga said. "He never forgot where his roots were."

Truan's son Rene Truan said everyone knows Carlos Truan the legislator, but his life as a father and husband has largely been kept in the background. Truan married his wife Elvira in 1963, and they have four children.

"His family was the most important thing in his life," Rene Truan said. "There was never a confusion in his priorities."

On Wednesday, condolences poured in from around the state and on social media sites, including statements from former state Sen. and current U.S. Rep. Lloyd Doggett, state Sens. Judith Zaffirini and Juan "Chuy" Hinojosa and Texas Democratic Party Chairman Boyd Richie.

Doggett joined Truan as member of a group of 12 senators that came to be known as the Killer Bees, who created national news by walking out on the 1979 legislative session in protest of a bill that would have split Texas' primary election calendar.

Texas state troopers ranged far and wide in search of the group, most of whom could have been found blocks away from the Capitol in an apartment.

"Holed up in a small garage apartment, Carlos was charged with peering through the peephole as our lookout," Doggett said in a statement. "As his success in expanding opportunities for Texas families and holding polluters accountable demonstrates, he never lost his willingness to fight for fairness."

Truan also was tender as a child when needed, tough as old shoe leather when required, Berlanga said.

Berlanga, who entered the state Legislature in 1977, said Truan by then was an established lawmaker in the House.

He said where some lawmakers carry legislation by the bucketful, Truan brought it by the truckload, fueled by a legendary reserve of personal energy.

From the 62nd through the 77th legislative sessions, Truan was the sole author of more than 570 bills and co-author of countless more bills and resolutions. Information on how many bills he authored in his first term during the 61st Legislature, including his famous bilingual education bill, are not available on the state's online archives.

His committee assignments ranged from the anachronistic liquor regulation and federal relations committees in the late 1960s to insurance, beaches and education committees in the 1970s. In the 1980s and 90s he served on and often chaired committees on health and human services, finance, higher education and state affairs.

For all of it, he was respected as a legislator but sometimes criticized by pundits and politicos as unwilling to work with colleagues and prone to browbeating those who stood in his way.

Political consultant Steve Ray remembered Truan from Ray's time covering the state Legislature as a reporter.

"He was a passionate debater," Ray remembered. "If Carlos walked into the Senate chamber ready to filibuster a bill, you could see the faces fall."

Burka on Wednesday said Truan's best work happened early in his legislative career, particularly his time as a member of the Dirty Thirty, a group of representatives noted for their stand against a scheme orchestrated by Houston-area banker Frank Sharp to get his friends to pass legislation investigators later found was designed to inflate his company's stock price.

"Carlos was very, very active then," said Burka, who at the time worked on the staff of state Sen. A.R. "Babe" Schwartz. "There was a lot of esprit de corps in the Dirty Thirty. He never outgrew the battle of his youth."

His early career melded Truan's legacy into the minds of many young, hungry South Texans eager for public service.

"He was the first person whose advice I sought when I thought about running for office," Berlanga said. "I visited him in his old district office over on Baldwin Street."He said Truan encouraged him to run and told him of the sacrifices required.

Berlanga later stumped with Truan and then-state Rep. Joe Salem, usually from a flatbed pickup, and remembered how talented they were as speakers.

"There were none better than Carlos Truan and Joe Salem," he said. "They could move a crowd."

"Once he became your advocate, he was your champion," Berlanga said. "Once he decided something was the right thing to do, there was no backing off. I learned a lot from him."

Before entering state politics, Truan graduated from Texas A&I University in 1959 with a business degree and began a long career in the insurance business that outlasted his time in the state House. He cut his political teeth serving in local, state and national offices of the League of United Latin American Citizens and as a member of the American GI Forum.

His son, Rene, said his father's experiences as a child in Kingsville fueled his fire to serve.

He said his father from an early age worked three jobs, including shining shoes and working at a gas station, to support his single mother and his siblings.

"He didn't have time to have normal childhood hobbies," he said. "His hobby, in many ways, was people. What drove him was he wanted to change a lot of things that were not right. He simply wanted to, more than anything else, make a difference."

Rene said while having dinner together on Saturday night, his father told him what he missed most about public service was the ability to help people.

"He carried that same sentiment in the insurance business," Rene said. "He could've made a lot of money but he was more proud of helping families meet their expenses. That's how he saw his business and how he saw his public life."

Truan won the House District 45 election in 1968 and in 1969 went to Austin representing Nueces and Kleberg counties.

He immediately went to war on the status quo, authoring bills to remedy unhealthy conditions in migrant labor camps and establish a clear framework for landlord-tenant responsibilities in rental housing.

Burka said Truan's effectiveness in the Senate was tempered by his tendency to rail against fellow Senators who opposed him.

"You must have a good relationship with your colleagues in the Senate because so much goes on behind closed doors," he said.

Burka said he also squabbled quite a bit with members of the South Texas delegation.

"Especially Berlanga," Burka said.

Even though they did not always agree, Berlanga said Truan often reminded him that he came from a time when being a Hispanic in South Texas was not an easy row to hoe.

"His experiences molded him," Berlanga said. "The mere fact that LULAC, the American GI Forum — the major activist organizations — came into being was because there was a need here for people to fight for the issues. Carlos is part of that legacy."

Friend David Perry said Truan had to be tough to fight for South Texas' interests.

"Carlos brought us Texas A&M Corpus Christi and brought appropriations we may never had," Perry said. "The strength of his convictions and the courage to stand up for them was of great benefit to Corpus Christi and South Texas."

Perry said he last saw Truan a couple of years ago at a breakfast meeting of Democratic activists from the 1960s and 70s.

"He still had that desire to be involved," Perry said. "Like the old fire dog that hears the bell, he was wanting to be involved like always."

Carlos Truan Timeline

June 9, 1935: Born in Kingsville.

1959: Graduates from Texas A&I University with bachelor's degree in business administration.

1960: Begins career as a life insurance agent.

1963: Marries wife Elvira. The couple eventually have four children: Carlos Jr., Veronica, Rene and Maria.

1968: First elected to the Texas House of Representatives.

1969: Successfully sponsored the Texas Bilingual Education Act earning the nickname of father of bilingual education. Until the law was passed teachers were not allowed to speak or teach in Spanish even if their students did not speak English.

1971: Was one of the "Dirty Thirty" a name given to 30 House members who pursued ethics reforms in 1971.

1976: Elected to the Texas Senate.

1979: Participated in the "Killer Bees" a group of 12 senators who hid out to prevent a quorum and kill legislation that would have let conservative Texas Democrats cross party lines and vote for former Gov. John Connally in the Republican primary.

1981: Known for his filibustering, Truan spoke nonstop for 20 hours in an attempt to kill a shrimping-related bill. He wore a contraption that would allow him to relieve himself should the need arise. Truan successfully killed that bill.

1993: Chairman of the conference committee that allocated more than $200 million for construction and renovation at South Texas universities. Wrote the bill that established a birth defects registry to help identify the causes of birth defects.

1995: Became the first Hispanic dean of the Texas Senate by virtue of his seniority. As dean, Truan makes routine motions such as adjourning and convening and steps in when issues of decorum come up.

1998: Named among the 100 most influential Hispanics by Hispanic Business Magazine.

2001: Was instrumental in securing a School of Pharmacy at Texas A&M University-Kingsville. In June is named one of the Top 10 worst legislators by Texas Monthly for the fourth time (also in 1981, 1989 and 1991). Senior executive editor Paul Burka stated in 2001 there were two elements that make a good legislator. "The first is performance in the current legislative session. The second element is reputation. Successful legislators practice what is taught in kindergarten — how to play on the playground and work well with others."

2003: Retires on Jan. 14, officially ending 34 years of legislative service. In December the Natural Resources Building on the A&M-Corpus Christi campus, which Truan had secured funding for 10 years earlier, is named in his honor.

Sources: Caller-Times files

speaking on carlos truan

"Carlos was part of an older generation that knew how to stand their ground, but they always did it with a smile and they did it with class. He will be missed, but not forgotten. My prayers are with his family and loved ones in this time of grief." — State Sen. Juan "Chuy" Hinojosa, D-McAllen

"'Figures don't lie, but liars figure.' Sen. Carlos Truan uttered those words countless times as he fought for increased funding not only for his constituents' needs and priorities, but also for education and health and human services programs, especially for low-income families. Many Texans, including those who never knew him, benefitted from his leadership and passion." — State Sen. Judith Zaffirini, D-Laredo

"Sen. Truan was part of the 'Killer Bees' that helped to ensure fair presidential elections in Texas and a part of the 'Dirty Thirty' ethics coalition. Sen. Truan was the first Hispanic Dean in the Texas Senate and the first recipient of the Tejano Lifetime Achievement Award — a recognition that was well-deserved." — Boyd Richie, chairman of the Texas Democratic Party

"On behalf of the Texas Senate, I want to extend our deepest condolences to former Texas Sen. Carlos Truan's family and let them know that our prayers are with them. I was pleased to have the opportunity to work with Sen. Truan to help our military veterans. Carlos was a dedicated public servant who faithfully represented his constituents for more than 28 years, and he will be greatly missed by his former colleagues here in Austin and his many friends across the state of Texas." — Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst

"If it were not for Latino leaders like Sen. Carlos Truan, I would not be where I am today. I often say that the future leaders of Texas will have at one point called MALC (Mexican American Legislative Caucus) home; Sen. Carlos Truan helped build that home." — MALC Chairman and state Rep. Trey Martinez Fischer, D-San Antonio

"Sen. Carlos Truan gave over 30 years of his life to public service in order to protect the lives of workers and all people in the state of Texas. He voted with his heart and truly believed in what he worked." — former state Rep. Eddie Cavazos

"The Mexican American Legislative Caucus has lost a dear friend and former member. Today our prayers are with the family of Sen. Carlos Truan and the people of South Texas." — Mexican American Legislative Caucus